יחזקאל, פרק כ׳, פסוק י״ח

As the journey through the desert progresses, a critical turning point arrives. The divine address shifts away from the generation that originally left Egypt and focuses directly on their children. This new generation, who is destined to inherit and enter the land, receives a clear warning about their future [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

God issues a direct call for these children to break away from the flawed habits of their parents and pave an entirely new path. They are warned against following the customs and rules that the previous generation had invented from their own hearts, which were practices that God had never commanded [מצודת דוד].

The core problem with the older generation was that they had never completely cleansed themselves from the impurity and social manners of the Egyptian idols. Because of this lingering corruption, God warns the children not to continue in their parents' destructive footsteps. Instead of adopting those corrupt ways, the new generation is instructed to strictly observe only the laws and judgments given by Him [מלבי״ם].